Meeting Abstract

24-7  Saturday, Jan. 4 15:00 – 15:15  The species-specific and shared immune competence of seven Caribbean coral when exposed to white plague disease MACKNIGHT, NJ*; DIMOS, BA; BRANDT, M; MULLER, E; MYDLARZ, L; The University of Texas at Arlington; The University of Texas at Arlington; The University of Virgin Islands; Mote Marine Laboratory; The University of Texas at Arlington nicholas.macknight@uta.edu

Intraspecies and interspecies immune competence was captured in seven Caribbean coral after laboratory-controlled exposure to white plague disease. A spectrum of phenotypic disease susceptibility differentiated the species and provided the backbone for identifying unique or shared gene expression profiles across species. Gene expression profiles were correlated to disease phenotypes, including lesion growth rate using WGCNA networks. 100% of Orbicella faveolata contracted the disease, showing significant expression of calmodulin binding and metalloendopeptidase regulation. 0% of Montastrea cavernosa contracted white plague disease and has significant changes in the expression of G-protein coupled receptors and developmental processes. The remaining species, which did not have all of their fragments contract the disease, offer species-specific insight on the gene expression that is unique in fragments that contracted the disease versus fragments of the same species that were exposed but did not contract the disease. The intermediately susceptible Siderastrea siderea had 60% disease prevalence by the end of the study and presented significant enrichment of caspases and inhibition of transforming growth factor-beta in fragments that were exposed but did not contract the disease. By identifying the gene regulation that drives the immune competence of these species, better predictions on future species composition and abundance can be made for Caribbean reefs.